Equality and Diversity at learndirect

learndirect is committed to treating everyone fairly, we respect and value the diversity of our learners, customers, staff, suppliers, partners and all other people we work with. We strive to create a positive working environment to support learning and improve employment opportunities where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We will challenge any instance of inequality and will anticipate and respond positively to different needs and circumstances so that everyone can achieve their full potential.

Our Equality and Diversity Vision is integral to our Company Vision of ‘Inspiring people to realise their potential’ and embedded in our values, strategic aims, policies and day to day business.

Our principles

As a national provider of learning and employability skills we will:
1. Focus delivery on the unemployed to raise their skills and competencies to support them in to sustained employment
2. Focus Apprenticeship delivery on 16-24 learners and target government priorities areas in line with our offer
3. Provide positive and targeted support for identified groups who will gain most benefit from accessing learning through learndirect
4. Create a positive working environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, where inequalities are challenged and individuals are supported to achieve their full potential.

All our learners and customers have the right to the same high quality of service. They will be supported to achieve equal chances of success and opportunities of progression. We will:

Monitor all learner and customer groups and aim for a variance of no more than 5 per cent when measuring success outcomes
Benchmark individual progression within programmes, across pathways and into employment/further learning and agree a target for variation. We will then monitor against the target to ensure positive progress.

How we will achieve our vision and meet our principles

a) All current and new staff will be made aware of our equality and diversity vision and how their job supports the vision and our principles. This will be evidenced through induction and continuously promoted within company values, competencies, individual objectives and through personal development
b) All learner and customer facing services (e.g. products, technology, service delivery staff, marketing and our premises ) will proactively support the achievement of our vision and principles by:

Providing individualised support and encouraging every learner to achieve their potential
Developing positive and innovative solutions that best meet the diverse range of learner and customer needs
Ensuring equality and diversity is embedded as part of internal planning, delivery, and evaluation through self-assessment and improvement planning activity

c) Promote our vision through showcasing learner and customer case studies, celebrating diversity in the working and learning environment and via promotion activities and materials
d) Identify, promote and share good practice through our own and our supplier / partner delivery locations and from the wider learning and training sector
e) Monitor and support employers to ensure learners and customers train within fair and inclusive workplace environments that comply with key requirements
f) Incorporate the equality and diversity vision and principles into our key business processes and governance. This will be achieved through:

Executive level responsibility and accountability for achievement of the vision and the principles (Dereth Wood, Group Director of Learning, Policy and Strategy)
Establishment of a quarterly Equality and Diversity Board that has responsibility for reviewing and supporting activity and progress
Establishment of an Equality and Diversity Representative network that promotes our vision and best practice across key parts of the business
Working to clear action and improvement plans that are monitored for progress and impact
Regularly reviewing equality and diversity policies and arrangements to ensure these comply with our statutory duties, are based on agreed good practice and supportive of our vision
Supplier / partner contract management framework and processes
Training and development that enables staff to put our vision and principles into practice
Setting and monitoring targets to narrow gaps in learner and customer performance and participation
Carrying out impact analysis on key business projects and critical policies and procedures

We also have an Equality and Diversity Policy which describes in more detail how we will put our Vision and principles into practice and fulfil our statutory duties to promote equality, value diversity and eliminate discrimination so that all learners, customers, employees and employers realise their potential. This can be found here.

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